


Rainstorms and Felines

by TokyoTeddyWolf



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A little violence sorry, Brief mentions of the other paladins as cats, M/M, Unnamed OCs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 22:52:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16147232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TokyoTeddyWolf/pseuds/TokyoTeddyWolf
Summary: Lance and Shiro are gay cats. Need I say more?Gift for Shance Cafe on Tumblr for their 1-year anniversary!





	Rainstorms and Felines

"Aww, these two are certainly close!" The girl said, both hands full with petting a fluffy white cat with black paws, and a sleek furred brown cat that was currently climbing all over the other feline and purring up a storm.  
  
The waiter setting down her cup of tea grinned. "Yep. Shiro and Lance are basically inseperable. Have been ever since Lance brought Shiro home with him a few months back."  
  
"Oh? Now that's an interesting story. Your shift is over in like, five minutes right? You should come tell me stories while I suffer through homework." The girl sighed, Lance butting his head into her arm. Shiro was content to sit and purr in a pile of fluff on the table behind her laptop.  
  
"Well, here's something to mull over before I go clock out. Lance was the first cat we had here, back when it was still a regular cafe. He likes going outside in storms, so it was pretty surprising when he brought strays back with him. People started betting what kind of cat he'd bring home next, actually. Allura's the only other shelter adopted cat." The waiter explained, reaching over to give Lance a scratch.  
  
The other cats around the cafè were all various sizes and shapes, different colors everywhere you looked. Some flopped over the cat trees in separate corners, some batted toys around, and some were entertaining other patrons. The cafè was an open area, and the cats were kept meticulously groomed so fur didn't get into food and drink, air purifiers constantly running to filter out any stray hairs in the wind. It made for a more relaxed area, both the cats and the patrons happy with the arrangement.  
  
The girl hummed and idly reached over to poke at Shiro's front paw. "I see. Shiro's been through some stuff though, huh? Poor baby, stray life definitely took its toll on you." She crooned, gently brushing her fingers over the large white cat's nose, where a scar marred the top of his muzzle. The waiter took his chance to head back to clock out of his shift.  
  
Said feline merely purred and flicked his tail, wriggling closer by using his only front leg to pull himself forwards toward the nice lady with the warm hands. Lance made an almost huffy noise, and padded over to shove his face into the girl's hand, either jealous or overprotective.  
  
The brunette woman laughed and gave him some attention too, while her now off-duty friend slid into the seat across from her. "Lance is a very pampered boy. He was originally the only cat here because the shopkeeper couldn't bear to have him anywhere without her, and even roped her son into helping out. Nowadays he has a whole family of cats and a bunch of regular customers to pay attention to him and love him." He explained, reaching over to toy with Lance's long, thin tail.  
  
"Though, it does leave you wondering what he gets up to when he's out and about. But I've no doubt Shiro and Lance saved each other, I just wish I knew how." The waiter boy mused as Lance turned to bat at the offending fingers near his tail.  
  
                          ☆A few months ago☆  
  
It was raining again. A real storm, water pouring from the sky in sheets, drenching the darkened city streets. Most of the humans had gone home, save for the current owner and the other cats.  
  
Lance pawed at the door, a loud, mournful meow making itself known to the partially empty cafè. His tail lashed back and forth, _clearly_ displeased at being trapped inside. There was a soft clatter from the kitchen, and a tall, ginger haired man popped into the main dining area, face crinkled with laugh lines and walking over to the marbled tabby with long, even steps.  
  
"Alright, Lance my boy, you can go out. Just don't stay out past sunrise, and the towels are in the usual spot when you want to dry off. The bathroom window is open today." Coran, Lance's owner, stated, opening the door and allowing the disgruntled feline access to the outside world.  
  
Lance let out a cheerful chirrup and trotted out into the warm summer rain, Allura calling a soft mew of goodbye as he went, the long furred queen lounging on one of the tables.  
  
Stretching and purring at the sensation of warm, slightly polluted water running off of his naturally waterproof fur, Lance set about patrolling his territory first. Then he could go _adventuring_.  
  
Renewing some scent markers, catching a few mice, and scaring off a nasty looking dog, Lance jumped to the top of the nearby wall and set to cleaning a bit of dirt from his paw as the rain began to lighten to a gentle shower.  
  
Thunder rumbled in the distance, and he allowed himself a slight purr of delight at the sound. Thunderstorms were the _best_ in his opinion, no matter how many times Hunk said it was like the sky was exploding in his ears.  
  
Another sound, fainter, caught his ears. Swiveling his ears, he caught the sound again, sounding almost like an angry cat in distress. Odd, because Lance couldn't see any other felines in sight.  
  
Natural inquisition got the best of him, and he jumped down from the wall and went to go investigate. Such curiosity was going to get him horribly maimed one day, Keith had scoffed, until Lance had pointed out that said curiosity had saved Keith from drowning when they first met.  
  
The sound had originated from an alleyway, one Lance knew was common hunting grounds for a disgusting clowder that had no qualms about eating other cats when food was scarce. On his guard, Lance slunk through the rain soaked street, knowing the clowder didn't like coming out when it was wet. But the weather was warm, and the rain was lighter than before, so there weren't any guarantees for his own safety at the moment.  
  
A can clattered behind Lance, and he sprinted for a wall, the momentum allowing him to climb the brick for a moment before vaulting back and landing onto a dumpster, the lid closed to protect the contents inside from the rain.  
  
Lance hissed and lashed his tail as glowing, sickly yellow eyes stared at him threateningly from below his newfound perch. The clowder looked hungry, and several were licking their jaws as they crowded closer.  
  
Lance unsheathed his claws, a low growl building up in his chest as caterwauls began to bounce around the alleyway.  
  
The first cat to spring was the unluckiest one. Lance had been a street cat before he'd been caught and rehabilitated for human life, and he'd had a whole block to himself during his stray days for a reason.  
  
A sideswipe over the throat had the bulky blackish purple rogue tumbling back into the small clowder, blood spurting from the wound. A few hungrier members dragged him off, while the rest pounced for the slim tabby. Cat after cat lunged and scrabbled their way up towards Lance, who was now fighting for his life.  
  
It took only minutes to back the tabby into a corner, mouth now foul tasting with blood and the garbage gunk that clung to the fur of the enemy, claws slashing at his attackers. But those minutes felt like hours to him, matted fur darkened with blood and dirt and rot blending together in a sea of stench that was trying to drown him.  
  
Wryly, he thought that Coran was going to have to give him a very thorough bath after all this. If the smell didn't kill him first, that is.  
  
There weren't a lot, but ten were still a greater number than one, and Lance found himself sustaining several injuries before a blow to the head sent him stumbling off of the dumpster, crashing into a puddle. The momentary lapse in his defense allowed the entire clowder to pin him under a suffocating mass of wet fur and sharp fangs.  
  
Suddenly, a gray brown mass had bowled into the remaining cats, sending them scattering as a loud booming sound ripped through the air, the rain increasing tenfold and sending the startled cats scattering left and right as the storm hit full force. A few attacked the strange newcomer, and it struggled to fight them off for some reason.  
  
Lance was having trouble focusing, but when the large mass yowled in pain as a giant, black cat missing a paw and an eye sunk his fangs into the mangled leg of the new cat, he snapped out of it.  
  
Staggering to his feet, Lance lunged and snapped his fangs at the enemy cat, tearing out a chunk of flesh and fur. It was enough to send the rogue fleeing with the remnants of the clowder, yowling like a kitten with a thorn in his paw.  
  
Safe, the gray mass turned out to be a large tomcat, fur utterly soaked in dirt, rain and blood from his mangled front leg. Lance panted, spitting out the bloody fur in his mouth, legs braced out to keep himself steady, and turned to thank the other tom.  
  
Unfortunately, said cat promptly flopped over, unconscious from pain and malnutrition.  
  
Lance mewed in panic, nudging and poking at the large tomcat, looking around to make sure the clowder wasn't coming back. This cat needed help, and fast. _Could_ he carry a cat this large? This one was maybe as big as Hunk, minus the leg and all. Surely it wouldn't be as bad?  
  
Lance huffed, thunder cracking the sky and rain slamming down in heavy sheets, water soaking his pelt as the ruffled layers were unable to sit right against his spine, making him shiver. There was no time to waste. Coran and his mother lived above the cafè, and the way back in was a bathroom window Coran said he'd left open for today. All he had to do was get this dirty cat inside, maybe leave him with the others, fetch Coran, and have him take both of them to the vet, because Lance wasn't feeling to hot either.  
  
Lance pushed his way under the other cat, grunting as he lifted with all his might and situated the other cat on his back. It was easier than dragging him, possibly making that front leg worse in the process.  
  
He wobbled and slowly began making his way home.  
  
To say Pidge was freaked out when he came crashing to the floor in the bathroom was an understatement. The young cat practically jumped ten feet into the air, shrieking in panic before she recognized her adoptive sibling.  
  
She shot forwards, reaching up to slide the window shut, and then bolting for the cafè itself to find backup.  
  
Lance was soon assisted by Hunk and Keith, the latter easily carrying the injured mass of dirty fluff into the Sick Cat room. One of the occupants, a golden furred cat with a minor cold, Romelle, jumped down from her cat tree and padded over to inspect the newcomer while Pidge ran for Coran, who lived above the cafè.  
  
Keith made a disgusted face as he licked at Lance's wounds, clearly not pleased with the gunk clinging to the tabby's fur.  
  
Pidge's yowling and Coran's faint cursing reached all of them, and then the tall ginger haired human was making his way into the sick room. The second he spotted Lance and the new cat, they found themselves bundled up into a cage and taken to the vet.

* * *

The new cat was called Shiro, and his fur had been trimmed away to near Lance's length, and his mangled leg had been amputated and bandaged up, along with various other injuries.  
  
Lance was going to sport a new scar on the back of his ear from the little adventure they'd had. Other than that, some bandages, and a thorough grooming, he was fine.  
  
Shiro was very wary the first few weeks, unused to the hustle of a cat cafè, but Lance kept him plenty of company. It soon became clear that the two were pretty much head over tail for each other. Some of the patrons were giddily gleeful at the pair, because Coran's Cat Cafè was a popular spot for those of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, not to mention a rare safe space.  
  
Shiro started small. A regular, a college student with bright red hair, that always sat alone, always sat in the corner and generally kept to herself. Shiro awkwardly scrambled up onto the booth cushion next to her, Lance purring encouragingly from below.  
  
The girl smiled and gently offered a hand for the nervous feline to sniff. She smelled like apples, vanilla, and sunlight, and Shiro deemed her safe enough to bump his head into her hand.  
  
She laughed quietly and Shiro soon found himself comfortably bundled up into her lap, purring up a storm as her gentle fingers rubbed through his short coat.  
  
Lance didn't stop purring and kitty kissing Shiro for the rest of the day after that.

* * *

Now, Shiro's coat had grown in beautifully, and he had grown used to only three legs.  
  
Lance was always by his side, through everything, and that was all he needed.

**Author's Note:**

> I love shance okay?


End file.
